Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 86841 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86841 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
“It’s easier if you come here and let me point it out and explain,” I told him.
“She wants to make it look like some upscale place.”
Jude held up a hand. “Let her talk, Sister.”
Mena tensed, but her expression reminded me of a child who had done something wrong and was scolded.
He turned back to me. “Start at the beginning,” he encouraged.
Although I was a little gun-shy now since Mena had made me question my ideas, I flipped to the front and began again. Highlighting how my proposed set-up would make it easier to see the seasonal clothing, school uniforms. How we could seek out other churches to ask their congregations for donations for back-to-school clothing and items for the winter, when keeping warm was vital.
Mena didn’t interrupt me. Although, when I mentioned eliminating the smell here by washing items that had been brought in because everyone deserved to be given something clean to wear, she cleared her throat like it was literally killing her not to say something. Father Jude’s request, however, kept her silent. I was amazed.
When I finished, I pointed to the far-right back wall that held boxes stacked to the ceiling. “I was even thinking that once this was done, I could work on getting a food pantry started, run on donations only, just like the clothes—”
“That would demand more man-hours than one person can do. You do not understand—”
“Sister Mena.” Jude’s tone wasn’t gentle. There was a commanding edge to it.
The way Mena immediately shut the hell up put a whole new light on the kind, charming priest. And I liked it.
I had to gather myself because he’d just made my nipples hard.
Clearing my throat nervously, I closed the binder. “It was just an idea. One I would take complete responsibility for. There are a lot of resources in the area, and if we can pull them together to help those in our community who need it, then I don’t see why not.”
She was going to tell me no the moment Jude walked out that door. I already knew it. His telling her to be quiet twice were marks that I could never recover from. I wouldn’t let it stop me though. I’d just start one myself. Where, I had no idea, but I would figure it out.
“All right,” Jude said. “If you want to take this on, then it is yours. It would be an outreach for the community and a much-needed one. We’d probably draw in people from the surrounding cities too. Which isn’t a bad thing. We are here to help the ones who need it.” He turned his gaze to Mena. “The vows you took are to serve the world through your work. There isn’t a said limit on that work.”
Vows? What was he talking about? What vows? And why was he telling me I could do this instead of Mena?
“Yes, Father,” she replied, then turned to look at me. “I am sorry I wasn’t open-minded. I fear I’m used to picking up the slack, and I saw this as potential for that. However, my life is to serve the Lord. My time is his.”
I wanted to squeal and jump up and down, but I was still working this out in my head. Had she really just let Jude tell her what to do because she was Catholic and he was a priest? It’d sounded as if this was her charity or she ran it.
“When would you like to start?” Jude asked me.
Really?
“Uh, well, now. I mean, I can start going through all the boxes of clothes and sort them into loads to be washed, then take them home to clean.”
“We have a washer and dryer in the rec hall,” Jude informed me. “No need to take them back and forth to your house. I can show you where it is.”
“The water bill, Father. There are—”
“Sister Mena,” he said in a gentler tone this time, “this is the church’s ministry. We have neglected it for too long, and until I listened to all that Saylor would like to do here, I hadn’t realized just how much.”
My gaze swung to Mena—Sister Mena. As in a nun. She worked for God. This was owned by Holy Rosary. Father Jude was now sorta my boss.
Holy shit.
And where the hell was Sister Mena’s head thingy she was supposed to be wearing? And her robe? Anything would be better than what she had on now.
Nine
Jude
Sister Mena had been wrong in telling Saylor her ideas were a waste of time. I’d made my decision because what Saylor had proposed was an excellent idea. It had nothing to do with her proximity to me or that I’d see her more often. Possibly daily. Yep, nothing at all to do with that.
Saylor had spent a lot of time on that binder. It was so thorough and well done. I’d been impressed and, frankly, completely shocked. She was not someone I would have thought would ask to take on something like that. She was right; the place smelled terrible. It wasn’t appealing, and the idea of digging through the clothes made me want to take a shower.